eldeidge



(No Model.)

W. W. VAUGHN & E. D. ELDRIDGE.

MEANS FOR GENERATING STEAM BY ELECTRICITY.

No. 314,277. Patented Mar.24, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W'ALTER W. VAUGHN AND EDVARD D. ELDRIDGE, OE STOCKTON, CALIFOR- NIA, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES, XV. W. PADDOGK, HENRY \V. DEVOLL, EDYVARD ELMORE ELDRIDGE, CHARLES A. ELDRIDGE, JOSHUA B. \VEB STER, AND ASA CLARK.

MEANS FOR GENERATING STEAM BY ELECTRICITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,277, dated March 2%, 1885.

Application filed May 5, 18%.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WALTER W. VAUGHN and EDWARD D. ELDRIDGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the 5 county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Method of Generating Steam by Electricity, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to [O the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to an improvement in means for generating steam by means of electricity; and it consists in the'combination of a suitable dynamomachine, suitable wires I 5 which are connected thereto, strips of platinum which are passed back and forth through the fines of the boiler, and suitable means for insulating the strips or wires from the boiler, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of our invention is to generate steam by the means of electricity, and by means of strips or ribbons of platinum which are passed back and forth through the boilertubes, and which strips or ribbons are made 25 white hot by the passage of electricity through them.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a locomotive-boiler to which our invention is applied. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of 0 the fiuts.

A represents a dynamomachine,which will be placed in any desired relation to the boiler, and be operated by any suitable motor or in any suitable manner that may be preferred.

35 This motive power may be electricity or com pressed air or gas, springs, or any other known power for operating machinery of any kind. From one of the poles of this machine extends a suitable conducting-wire, a, to one 0 of the fines, c, of the boiler, at which point (No model.)

from the tines for the purpose of generating steam. As the heat from the platinum is very intense,steam can be quickly and readily raised in the boiler, the same as if a the were made in the furnace of the boiler in the usual manner. The entire length ofeach tine through which the platinum strip passes is lined with any suitable insulating material, 0; but we prefer to use graphite which is purified from all traces of iron, it prevents corroding of the fines, and is a noneonductor of electricity to a certain extent, while it allows the heat to pass through it rapidly enough to give out a proper degree of heat and still protect the iron of the fines, and will prevent their burning out. Each end of the ilues, or that portion of their number which is travcrsedby the platinum wire, strip, or ribbon, is covered with a perforated plate, y, of graphite or other suitable material, the perforations of which permit the passage back and forth of the wires or strips as they pass back and forth through the lines. These plates through which the platinum wires pass will be held in position against the ends of the fines by any suitable means. The perforations are of sufricient size to permit only the exact passage of the wire, hermetically scaling them against the ingress of air, or of any element except the electric current which passes through the wire. The lines traversed by the strips, wires, or ribbon are of smaller diameter than are in use in engines employing the ordinary fuels only. for the purpose of facilitating the direct application of electric heat over a larger given surface of boiler-tines.

Of course the dynamomachine will be supplied with circuitclosers, whereby the flow of the electric current may be controlled at will. The plates 9 hermetically close all'of the fines 0, except those, m, through which the products of combustion pass when a fire is used in raising steam. The llues .r, as shown in Fig. 2, are left entirely open, so that the products of combustion can pass freely through. Eire will be used when the motive power for the dynamo is not available.

The power of a stream of water, a watcrfall, or a windmill placed on a hill may be used to run the dynamo, and the electricity thus generated far away may be used to raise the steam. \Vhen this motive power is out I hermetically at their ends and lined their enof repair so that it cannot be used, lire will tire lengths with graphite, substantially as set be used under the boiler. forth.

Having thus described our invention, we in testimony whereof We affix oursignatures 5 c1a1m in presence of two Witnesses.

The combination of a steam-boiler provided XVALTER XV. VAUGHN with suitable flues with a dynamo-machine EDXVARD D. ELDRIDGE.

suitable wires connected thereto, and a strip, Witnesses: band, or Wire of platinum which is passed back ELIHU B. STOWE, 10 and forth through the fines, which are sealed JOSHUA B. Wnusrmz. 

